By Naira Hayrumyan
ArmeniaNow correspondent

Authorities in Armenia’s neighboring countries, Turkey and Azerbaijan, are conducting arrests of persons suspected of directly or indirectly preparing coups and planning to overthrow of the government. Western governments, meanwhile, accuse Baku and Ankara of violating democratic norms and not respecting democratic values.

Several dozen well-known journalists and police officers were arrested in Turkey on December 14. Among those arrested are also editor-in-chief of the Turkish Zaman newspaper Ekrem Dumanli and head of the Samanyolu Hidayet Karaca. According to a written statement of the chief prosecutor of Istanbul Hadi Salihoglu, the arrested people are accused of “creating a terrorist organization, fraud and defamation.” The government accuses Samanyolu of collaboration with the preacher Fetullah Gulen, who is in opposition to the ruling Justice and Development Party.

Earlier a wave of arrests took place in Azerbaijan – among those who appeared behind the bars were human rights activists and bloggers who have worked with Western foundations. Baku openly accused US non-governmental organizations of attempting to stimulate unrest in Azerbaijan and overthrow the government.

The world press more and more often quotes experts as saying that the West is using “methods of deterrence” towards Turkey and Azerbaijan. These methods became especially noticeable after these two countries refused to cooperate fully with the coalition against the Islamic State and strengthened their ties with Russia. Now is not the time for business with Russia, said State Department spokesman Jen Psaki. And Turkey and Azerbaijan are trying to have lucrative oil and gas projects with Russia, which is under Western sanctions at present over the crisis in Ukraine.

Baku welcomes rapprochement between Turkey and Russia, believing that this will have an impact on Armenia, which may be forced to make concessions over the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov said that given that Russia is a mediator in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, and Turkey is a neighbor of Armenia, improvement of relations between the two countries could have a positive impact on the resolution of the conflict. “And we are waiting for it,” he said.

In their turn, Western media, through experts, warn Russia, Turkey and Azerbaijan about the threat of Islamization, which would threaten stability in these countries.

“By eliminating moderate voices in society, Azerbaijan’s leaders set the stage for anti-Western environment that will serve as a breeding ground for radical Islamists, who pose a grave security threat to both the region and the West,” foreignpolicy.com writes.

“The [December 4] coordinated terrorist assault on the Chechen capital of Grozny – which left at least 20 dead and scores more injured – should refocus global attention on a problem that Russia itself increasingly is confronting: a resilient wave of radical Islam,” writes Foreign Affairs.

Al-Jazeera also says that Russia could become the next “target” for Islamists. The same predictions are also made for Turkey, a country aspiring to become a member of the European Union.

Head of EU diplomacy Federica Mogherini and EU European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn issued a joint statement condemning the detention of journalists in Turkey on Sunday. They expressed their concern over this fact ahead of Tuesday’s discussions of EU expansion that will also include the issue of Turkey.

The fall in international oil prices has indeed shattered the power of President Ilham Aliyev in Azerbaijan and the successes of the anti-Islamic coalition in Syria and Iraq, the US cooperation with Iran and the Kurds scare the regime in Turkey, which expects the shift of the terrorist wave and destabilization to Turkey. Christian Armenia in this situation, despite the threats, is considered an island of stability.